Fairy Tale: Rath and Dakeri's Story
by VampireQueen21
Summary: This is a prequel to my fic 'Twin Set of Lovers'. It's what the title says Rath and Dakeri's story.
1. Prologue

Title: Fairy Tale

Author: Dezi or Jezebel Jinx or VampireQueen21

Couple: Rath/Dakeri, Zan/Ava; some Rath/Lonnie in the beginning but it won't be for very long

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Prequel to 'Twin Set of Lovers'. You don't have to read TSOL to understand this. But a quick overview about Dakeri she is the dupe version of Liz. Liz and Dakeri are aliens that were born instead of hatched.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Warning: Some violent scenes.

**Prologue**

_Tampa, Florida; 1999_

Dakeri holds her dying mother's hand, resting her head against her mother's forearm. "Why can't I save you?" Dakeri whispers in agony.

Francesca Star wakes hearing the anguish in her daughters voice. "You're not supposed to my angel." Dakeri lifts her head at her mother's barely there voice.

"Why am I not supposed to? I can do anything you told me I could…so why can't I save you mommy?" Dakeri sobs out. She hasn't called her mother mommy in years.

Francesca eases her hand from her daughters placing it on Dak's head smoothing her hair down. "I don't know baby. But this is just something that you can't do."

"Then I'll…"

"You've done everything that you can." Francesca's voice becomes fainter. "You must do me this last favor."

"Anything mom." Dakeri takes her mother's hand back in her own and kiss her palm. Whatever her mother asks her for she'll do it, anything to make her happy.

"Find Rath." She simply states.

"Rath? The General in the stories you were always telling me?" Her mother nods. "But I thought he didn't exist?"

"The woman that I always said was his true love…is you my darling girl. Find him, be with him."

Dakeri holds back a sob nodding her promise. She couldn't contemplate leaving her mother even in death; he mother was her life. In this life Dakeri had no friends that she could call on to help her through this troubled time.

"Say it, promise me you will find him and be happy again." Francesca insists. She knows her daughter would die with her if she didn't promise out loud. Francesca couldn't allow her daughter to take her life just to be with her.

"I promise mom, I'll find him." She whispers, knowing that now she spoke her promise out loud, she'd never break it.

"That's my girl." She lays back down on the bed, closing her eyes in exhaustion. "Why don't you go make us something to eat ok?"

Dakeri stands. "What would you like?"

"I'd like a four-course meal, but since I can't handle that, I'll go for applesauce." She tells her wonderful daughter. Dakeri has been taking care of her since she got sick. She's been working two jobs to pay for the bills, food, and medicine that helped her live longer. Francesca never went to a hospital because of the alien blood.

Going to the hospital wouldn't have helped anyway. Francesca knew this was going to happen because she had it on Antar. It's an alien disease that no medicine on Earth can fix, and since there is no way to get home…it's impossible for her to get better.

"Ok, I'll be right back." Dakeri kisses her mother's forehead leaving the room getting her mom her applesauce. While in the kitchen Dakeri makes herself a small sandwich, eating it and mentally preparing herself for seeing her mother that frail and fragile.

Ever since she can remember her mother has been a healthy, physically strong woman. Now…her mother was dying, how is this happening to her? Her mother has never been anything but wonderful and loving. She doesn't deserve this.

Dakeri wipes the tears that fell away her face. Picking up the bowl with the applesauce she walks down the hallway to her mother's room, the walk seemed agonizingly slow. Dakeri opens the door; her mother is lying there sleeping.

Quietly tip-toeing over to her side she sets the applesauce down on the nightstand. Turning to her mother she notices something odd about her mother. No movement. Not even a tiny flutter of her chest rising and falling in time with her breathing.

Dakeri lightly shakes her mother, not registering the slight coldness of her shoulder. "Mom?" She whispers softly.

"Mom?" Dakeri shakes her mother's body slightly harder, and speaks louder desperate to get her mother's attention. Her mother has to be sleeping, she has to be sleeping there's no other way to explain it. She wouldn't let her be dead.

"MOMMM!" Her tears let loose flooding her face.

"NOOOO!" Crumpling to her knees, she sobs loudly. Her world had gone deaf, she feels tiny something's enter her skin. She takes one last look at her mothers still body and falls away into blackness.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

Warning: A very graphic mutilation scene in this chapter.

**Chapter 1**

Dakeri comes back to reality, slowing comprehending her surroundings. Her hearing has returned, she feels the glass underneath her body. Her skull is pounding like she used too much power in a small amount of time.

She looks around seeing the windows had been blown out. The glass in the picture frames at been broken and various items were strewn around the room broken. They had to have been attacked, that's the only explanation.

Dakeri vaguely smells the hint of decaying flesh. Remembering that her mother was on her deathbed she hurried to her knees cutting herself on the glass below, desperate to see if her mother was ok. "Mommy?"

Not registering or caring about the glass embedding into her skin, she closes her eyes at her vision spinning. The dizziness slowly fades; Dakeri opens her eyes moaning lightly at the disorientation. She sees her mother's lifeless on the bed. A small whimper escapes her throat. Her mother's skin was so pale; the stench of rotten flesh was getting stronger as her senses slowly returned to her.

She stared at the blank dead eyes of her mother. Her mother's mouth hanging open, she whimpers again like a lost puppy. Dakeri not being able to stomach the sight of her own mother turns her head and vomits on the peach colored carpet. Dakeri clutches her stomach, her body heaving trying to get rid of everything and anything that has ever resided in her body.

Dakeri's throat burns, her lungs are trying to get a breath but all she breathes in is the smell of the sour, disgusting waste exiting her body. She can't get the smell of her mother's rotting corpse out of her nasal passages. She knows she has to get out of this room. Dakeri forces herself to get up onto her feet her legs wobbling and runs as fast as her rubbery legs can carry her, into the bathroom shutting the door.

Breathe in, breathe out. Slow calming breaths. Dakeri tries to calm down, but how can she calm down? Her mother has been dead for at least a week. Turning on the water Dakeri splashes some of the soothing cool water onto her face.

Dakeri takes a look at herself, and she barely recognizes herself. She's pale; she became thinner from the lack of eating for about a week. The light that she knew used to be inside her was gone. Her mother would tell her all the time about the light that just glowed when she was happy, that's how her mother could tell that she was delighted and when she was sad because that glow would be gone.

That glow was gone. She didn't know how she would get it back, even if she would ever get it back, not sure she wanted it back. With happiness can come pain. Dakeri looks up at the ceiling trying to stop herself for vomiting again.

What can she do, who can help her? With a brief moment of clarity Dakeri knows what she has to do. She can't give her mother the burial service that she deserves. She can't just take off and leave her mother's body there. She wonders why it hasn't turned to dust yet. Even at a time like this her mind is always searching for answers to questions.

If she leaves the body there, and someone finds it then the secret that aliens are among us is out in the open. Dakeri knows what would happen, it would be open season on aliens. Like the Salem Witch Trials. Weird people would be accused, if your neighbors hated you you'd be accused of being an alien and executed, no one would be safe.

She has to burn her mother's body to ash. Can't risk having people find out about aliens. Dakeri takes a few more calm, soothing breaths and her body changes modes. A few seconds ago she was the grieving daughter of Francesca Star, now—she's still the grieving daughter of Francesca Star—only now, on autopilot.

She has a job to do and her emotions can't get in the way of that. She can't afford to break down completely not yet, later she can but now, she needs to do some things. Dakeri walks out of the bathroom with a mission.

Dakeri walks out of her home. The home she has known since she was born, her mother was right, she had to go find Rath. He was the one thing that could make her happy again, she knew it in her heart that he was the key to her not losing it completely and going off the deep end.

Dakeri throws her last bag into the backseat of her mom's new car. Then she turns back toward her home. She looks up toward the sky; "I'll never forget you mom. I hope you're happy." She whispers up to the sky. Raising her hand, she starts a fire on the inside of her home.

When she's sure the fire has been started she changes her position and faces the homes in the neighborhood. Closing her eyes she reaches out with her mind working on a mind warp for the entire neighborhood.

Her forehead becomes wet with sweat at the energy it takes to accomplish a mind warp on so many people. The mind warp effective she gets into the car and drives off, her mother said Rath, one time after the tale, lived in a big city now.

When her mother used to tell her the fairy tale about Rath and Dakerina, at the end she would always ask questions, like where Rath was now that he was on Earth. Would Dakerina ever find her love? Was she named after Rath's love? Her mother would answer every single question as best she could. Dakeri remembers every word of the fairy tale that her mother used to tell her.

_Once upon a time on a distant plant called Antar there was a beautiful young girl by the name of Dakerina and a handsome young man by the name of Rath. _

_Rath was a General in the Antarian Army. Dakerina was the adopted sister of Princess Ava. Rath and Dakerina were fast friends until one day Rath had to leave Jakar, the most bustling city on Antar, for Takatas a training facility. _

_Dakerina had cried for days after he had left and Rath was moping around during training. During that time Prince Zan was trying to court Dakerina, but Dakerina would have none of it. She only had eyes for Rath, besides Zan was betrothed to marry her sister Ava, and she would never get in the way of her sister's opportunity to become the Queen of Antar. _

_A few years pass and Zan still hasn't given up on the beautiful Dakerina, even though he is now married to her sister and ruling a quickly deteriorating kingdom. So a few nights before Rath was due home Zan was tried of waiting, and he went to find Dakerina and demand that she admits how much she loves him._

_Dakerina said that she will always and forever love Rath, and nothing would ever change that. Zan was furious and attacked her, but luckily before he went to far was thrown off of her by Ava. Dakerina was sent to the castle doctor and treated for her wounds._

_When Rath came home and saw Dakerina was nowhere to be seen he asked where she was, and was told the awful news about what Zan had done to her. Rath was livid and wanted to kill Zan but he couldn't because Zan was now the king, and Rath would be killed if he laid a single hand on him. _

_After Dakerina got better her and Rath started to do everything together. They began to get closer. Their first kiss was on the Blue Mountain Ranges. It was a gorgeous spot; they even got married on that same spot. _

_When Dakerina got pregnant she was ecstatic. Rath and her had always wanted children. They had talked about children in depth before they went to sleep. They knew how many they wanted and what to name them, whether they be a girl or a boy. _

_Underfoot the people of Antar wanted new leaders. King Zan was a tyrant and was taking Queen Ava down with him. Dakerina and Rath were friends with the people of Antar and the people of Antar wanted them as their new leaders. _

_While back at the Palace, after Rath first heard about Dakerina's pregnancy, he made sure that Dakerina did nothing to hurt herself or the baby. Dakerina loved both her husband and their unborn child more than life itself. Rath was the perfect husband…for her and her unborn child was kicking up a storm every night. She's going to be a fighter, she knew it. _

_Unfortunately their happiness was to end. King Zan couldn't stand that Dakerina was with another man and the fact that almost the entire planet wanted to overthrow him and Ava and appoint Rath and Dakerina, the new King and Queen was just too much for Zan to handle. _

_So one night before Dakerina and Rath had come back to their rooms, Zan had planted Antar's version of a bomb. After Rath and Dakerina had gone to bed, the bomb exploded and killed them and their unborn baby. _

_About a month after their deaths, Khivar, a ruler of another planet talked his love Princess Vilandra into letting him inside the castle walls. He had convinced her that he wanted peace, but he didn't, he wanted to take over Antar. _

_Vilandra believing him, let him in, in turn, he killed King Zan and Queen Ava. One of Khivar's men, not knowing that Khivar wanted Vilandra alive went to her rooms where she was instructed to wait for Khivar, was killed. _

_In desperation the scientists of Antar cloned the Royals twice, just incase something happened to one set they had the other set to insure that they would come back and save them. Dakerina's adoptive parents begged them to clone Dakerina as well, Rath needed her there with him. _

_The scientists reluctantly agreed. They planted both of Dakerina's clones into two females and sent them to Earth after the Royal Four were sent down. It was later found out that the ship had crashed but they had managed to get the pods in a safe place until they hatched. _

That was all that her mother had told her until she was older to know more about what really happened. Like Zan had almost raped Dakerina, the little plots that Zan tried to do to get Dakerina to abandon Rath. And finally before Zan had blown up Dakerina and Rath's room he had watched Dakerina and Rath make love their final time.

Dakeri can't help putting a little humor in after that sad thought and she smirks thinking that Zan must have been jealous by Rath's size and that was the only reason why Rath and her former self were blown up.

Other things that her mother had told her when she was older was that Vilandra wasn't just killed, she was brutally raped and sodimized repeatedly, and after Khivar's man was done raping her, he had tied her up on the bed and brought out his knife.

Khivar's man had tortured and mutilated Vilandra, cutting the nipples off her breasts, and it wasn't a quick cut, oh no, it was a long, dragged out cut. He had licked the underside of the nipple that used to be attached to her breast savoring the taste of her blood. Loving the tears flooding down her face and her voice becoming hoarse from all the screaming that she had done.

He had cut Vilandra up and down her arms and legs, deep cuts, weakening her even more with the excessive loss of blood. He had licked the knife clean and began to cut more off of her. Next went her breasts, which were the hardest because all he had was a small knife, followed by the tip of her nose, and finally her tongue.

After he cut off the parts that he wanted he nailed her up to the wall, by now she was long since dead, and luckily couldn't feel anymore pain. Before Khivar's man left he sliced Vilandra open from groin to neck, kissing her lips before he walked away happy at the job he had done.

Khivar had of course killed him after the man came boasting to him about what he had done to the pretty princess. It was quick beheading, far better than he had deserved. Khivar had ran to Vilandra's rooms, and vomited at seeing her nailed to the wall. Her beautiful face and body mangled by the edge of his man's knife. Her guts spilling out from her open stomach, all connected still but hanging until it reached the floor onto the pool of blood that formed beneath her.

He instantly regretted killing his solider so quickly. He should have tortured him just like he had tortured her. Then he would have died the same death that Vilandra did. Khivar began to think of the little ways he could torture him and kill him slowly.

Moving his thoughts of torture away he walks slowly up to Vilandra. Khivar is almost too scared to touch her. Reaching his hand up slowly he strokes her face, his hand becoming quickly soaked with her blood. Khivar rubs his face into Vilandra's mutilated chest his tears mixing with the blood coming from her ripped off breasts, whispering his apologies to her.

Dakeri is jolted from her sad memories, which she dreamt one-night 2 years ago as she was sleeping, when one of her favorite songs comes on. AC/DC's 'Back in Black' gets louder and louder as she turns up the volume, beating her hands against the steering wheel to the beat.

Vowing to find Rath she decided to try New York first, that was closer than LA. Or maybe she should check Roswell, New Mexico because that was where the crash was. But that didn't make sense to her because her mother had told her that Rath was in a big city. Roswell wasn't a big city, so they can't be there.

Thoughts of her mother begin to leak through her mental stone wall; she turns up the volume, effectively drowning out the quickly approaching thoughts of her dead mother. She's not ready to break down yet; she has things to do. Dakeri grips the steering wheel hard till her knuckles turn white. She'll be fine, for now she's convinces herself.

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

A.N. For those who have read _Twin Set of Lovers_ there might be a little confusion about the fairy tale that Dakeri remembers, it says that Khivar killed Zan because he wanted to take over Antar. Now nobody except Khivar and about 3 others knew about Dakerina being his daughter. So the fairy tale is what Francesca knows and has conveyed to her daughter.

**Chapter 2**

_New York Sewers; One week earlier_

He can't stand her, he almost hates her even, but no matter how hard he tries to leave her he can't seem to get her claws out his skin. Her lips pressing against his feels like slime instead of velvet soft, her body doesn't fit against his own, the hands grabbing at his clothes are violent instead of loving.

Rath is laying over Lonnie, making out with her, his arms are working to get around her but she doesn't fit securely in his arms. Hardly taking notice of his problems with her he tries to get his pants off quickly so he can fuck her fast and get his need for sex squelched for the night, when a powerful wave of pain slams into him nearly knocking him off the couch.

He holds his head feeling most of the pressure pulsing at his skull. Clenching his teeth Rath screams out the pain becoming too much, he feels he's about to pass out when he sees the flashes, fast images zooming around in his brain.

A beautiful girl screaming at the top of her lungs.

Her body in so much pain.

The anguish of…

It immediately cuts off and the powerful, mind numbing throbbing in his head and body have stopped. Rath looks down at his body taking notice of various little cuts all around his body. The blood begins to trickle out and soak into his shirt.

Lonnie is so much in shock that she can't even ask if Rath is all right. She watches Rath slide down the couch and rest against it holding his head as if trying to remember something important.

Zan and Ava run out from their curtained room with questioning expressions on their face. Ava is trying to button up her shirt and Zan, with obvious difficulty, is trying his best to zip and button his pants back up, Lonnie rolls her eyes at them. Can't they dress before they run out?

"What happened?" Ava asks done with the task of getting her shirt together.

"I don't knows. One minute wes were makin' out and da next he was clutchin' his head in pain." Lonnie explains just as confused as her brother and pseudo sister are.

"Rath what happened?" Zan speaks in a loud, authoritative tone.

"Yous don't have ta yell. I can hear yous just fine." Rath grinds out. He closes his eyes and tries to remember what he saw flash in his mind. He growls in frustration, it was so chaotic in his brain that he couldn't tell what he saw and what he didn't.

"Like Lonnie said, wes were makin' out and all of a sudden I felt dis rush of pain just overwhelm my body. It knocked me on my ass. There was a girl—she was hurtin', it was her—I was feelin' her pain." Rath breathes out.

"Why would you be feelin' some other chicks pain?" Lonnie seethes with jealousy. Rath shouldn't be feeling any girls' pain but hers.

"I don't know Lon. I just was, I can't explain it." Rath gets up and grabs his jacket from the back of the couch and shrugs it on.

"Where yous goin'? Lonnie demands standing up getting ready to stop Rath.

"I have ta get out of here. Clear my head. I'll be back later." Rath pushes apart the curtains separating the lair from the rest of the sewer and walks through, his mind a jumbled mess.

As he walks away from the lair and through the sewer he feels the small little cuts all over his skin, tingle like their being healed. Rath shrugs off a sleeve of his jacket and takes a look at his forearm. The cuts are healing. He runs his hand over one of the quickly healing cuts.

Rath's face scrunches slightly in confusion. This can't be right, he didn't do anything to heal try and heal his wounds. He'd have to ask Zan when he got back to the lair whether or not he can one heal from distances and two if he can't, has his body ever healed on it's own.

When he reached the stairs that leads up to the busy street of New York he feels a faint stirring in his mind. Like someone is trying to reach him.

_I'm sorry._ The voice was so soft in his mind that he barely detected it. He looks around the sewer with confusion written all over his face. Who was that, how can they talk to him in the mind? Millions of questions sped through his brain.

_You can hear me?_ The voice in his mind asked, scared and curious at the same time. Rath leans his head against the grimy sewer wall trying to identify the voice. It sounds so familiar to him but he's positive that he's never heard it before in his life.

Rath breathes in and out calming his nerves. Concentrating he erects a wall to his mind so the voice can't freak him out anymore. He doesn't like anybody in his thoughts.

Immediately after constructing the mind wall he felt the pain of being cut off from her mind. The loneliness that she was conveying to him, the obvious pain of his rejection. Rath wanted to comfort her, tell her he was sorry for hurting her.

Realizing what he was thinking about doing he shook his head. He had no clue who this was, it could be some way for a shapeshifter to get into his mind and kill him. It could be a Skin trying to find out what he knows.

From what he had seen months ago Lonnie was kind of chummy with some of the skins. While he was walking through the city he spotted Lonnie walking down the street with some kid. Not knowing what was going on he followed them.

The kid was Nicholas; he's Khivar's right hand man, the group met him a couple weeks ago and gave them some of their memories back. Rath had tried to get close enough to hear their conversation but it was no use, if he got too close they would know he was there and he couldn't have that. So he had just stayed close, watching.

He hadn't said a word to Lonnie when she came back, he figured she wouldn't tell him anything and he was right, it was obvious that whatever she was doing with him wasn't good and wasn't for the good of Zan, Ava, and him.

Rath continues to walk, all the while feeling the constant loneliness that he has caused this person who's trying to connect with him. He repeatedly tells himself that he doesn't care about the person, he doesn't know the person, maybe if he keeps saying that he'll eventually start to believe it.

For the next week he could feel the voice trying to make contact with him, but each time he built his wall up higher and thicker, nothing seemed to keep this voice out for very long. The voice would just try again later and he would build a better mind wall, it was a continuous cycle.

Exactly a week after the attack to his mind and body he at first felt nothing, like the voice had stopped trying to reach him. Then as unexpectedly as the first bout of pain a second one came on, only not as strong as the first.

Rath was forced to his knees, the pain being strong in him, but not enough for him to scream out like the last time.

He doesn't notice Ava wrapping her arms around him trying to get him to tell her what's wrong, all he feels is the terrible anguish that this person is feeding him. Rath feels a slight push in his mind and recognizes that it's Ava trying to push the intruder out.

"So much pain." Rath manages to grind out. Ava is able to cut off the connection between Rath and whoever was in anguish.

"You ok?" Ava pushes inside of his mind again but this time is forced out by Rath.

"I'm fine, da person's gone." Rath assures her. "Why is dis happenin' ta me?" He shakes his head in confusion; he closes his eyes, the pain receding slowly.

"Do ya want me ta get Zan?"

"Nah, I just want ta forget bout this and get on with my life." Rath lifts himself off of the floor and walks over to the back of the couch and leans against it placing his head between his hands. He doesn't want Zan in any part of this.

Ava wants to go get Zan, he would at least have some ideas about what's going on with Rath. But she knew that if she did Rath would get so pissed at her. For the past year him and Rath had had their issues with each other.

Their feud was mostly Zan's fault in her eyes. Zan would never listen to Rath's ideas even though he's supposed to be his trusted second. Its almost like Zan doesn't trust Rath, but from what she sees there has been no reason for him to think that.

Rath has always been there for everyone no matter what, he's the protector of the group and Zan needs to wake up and realize that before he loses Rath's friendship forever.

"Are yous sure you're alright?" Ava knows he's not but she hopes that for once he'll actually admit it to her.

"I said I'm fine Ava." Rath snaps instantly regretting his harsh tone. "I'm sorry." He rarely apologizes but he feels that he need to since she did save him from a whole lot more heartache and pain. "I'm fine." He says in a calmer voice. She nods and steps out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

TBC


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Dakeri's been driving on and off for almost a week. When she got tired of sleeping in her car she would use the money that her mother had in the safe for a hotel room. It was nice to sleep in a bed every once in a while.

She was slowly starting to remember what happened—at least in her mind—while she was passed out. She vaguely remembers hearing a voice that was questioning why someone hurt him. Then his mind was full of chaos, he couldn't think just one thing, and it was a million different questions being thrown at her all at once.

It hurt her brain having all his emotions fly at her. When she finally managed to control the intake of what he was sending through a filter she was able to understand what he was mostly saying. After that he and everything else became a blur.

Then one night while she was driving she almost ran off the road from getting another flash of her time knocked out. She recalled him putting up a wall and trying to keep her out, but each time she got through and tried to contact him.

Dakeri had a feeling that this guy she kept trying to contact was Rath, but she couldn't be sure. Her mind was so confused and in a panic that she could have been connecting with anybody that she thought might take her pain away.

Pulling up to a hotel she drives into the parking lot, happy to be off the New York streets. She knew that traffic was bad in New York, but she never would have guessed it was this bad. Dakeri knows she won't be taking her car a whole hell of a lot of places around here, not if she wants to get there fast anyway.

Before she get out Dakeri knows they'll never give her a room the way she looks. Concentrating she changes her hole-y jeans into a medium length red skirt with a tiny slit in the back, her combat boots to classy red pumps, her corset top into a silk camisole top, and her leather jacket into a red business jacket.

She takes a look in her rearview mirror and changes her makeup into something more natural. Tiny hints of blush, light brown eye shadow, no mascara, brown eyeliner, and a clear lip gloss. Dakeri runs her fingers through her hair taking out the bright blue streaks leaving her hair the deep chocolate brown it was when she was born. Leaving it loose she runs her fingers through it giving her the desired effect of wind-blown hair.

Taking one more quick at how she looks and she finds that she looks like a businesswoman. The hotel is much more likely to give her a room now than if she was dressed like a punk kid from Florida.

Dakeri goes to the lobby area, while she's in New York she's going to be pampered. She doesn't want to stay in a dingy motel or her car; lucky for her she can change her many one-dollar bills into many hundreds.

Walking up to the front desk the woman working asks her to wait for just a moment. Dakeri smiles and nods waiting for the woman to finish with her phone call. A couple seconds of her listening to the woman, it's obvious it's a social call.

Dakeri scratches her head pretending to have an itch and takes this time to change her one's and five's into fifty's and hundreds. Finally the woman at the front desk is done; she apologizes and asks if she can help Dakeri.

"Yes, I have a room under the name Ms. Antar." She smiles at the woman whose nameplate says Delores. Quickly she concentrates and puts her name into where ever it is needed so she can get a room.

"Antar? That's a unique name." Delores types the name into the computer and comes up with one of the best rooms in the hotel. Why would this woman have the name of a distant planet as her last name, she thinks, curious about this Ms. Antar.

"It is isn't. I never noticed, I'm just so used to it." Dakeri chuckles. She wants to get into the room and rest for a few hours she really needs it.

Delores catches Ms. Antar wince slight. "Are you alright?"

"Oh yes, it's just…these heels, they kill me sometimes." Dakeri comes up with the excuse; all she's ever really worn is combat boots. Sometimes she wore a low-heeled boot but never something that hurt her feet like this.

Delores takes the first good look at the woman in front of her. It can't be—no—she takes a quick look at the computer screen and sees the first name is Dakeri.

"You know you got a interesting first name too. Is Dakeri short for something else?" Delores has to know to be sure. Not many people were named Dakeri, it had to be her, but she couldn't make the call until she knew for a fact that it was who she thought it was.

Dakeri glances up at Delores, a look a suspicion crosses her face and Dakeri immediately doesn't like this woman. "Yea, but it was from a fairy tale that my mother told me as a child. Can I have my room please, I really need to get some rest."

"I'm sorry, of course." Delores gets the key for her room and hands it to her. "Room 223. Your room is on the 5th floor, when you get out of the elevator take a turn to the right. If you need anything don't hesitate to call the front desk and enjoy your stay here."

"Thank you." Dakeri goes over to the elevator and pushes the button for the 5th floor. She can't help but think she shouldn't stay here long. That Delores woman—there is something up with her and she wasn't going to stick around to long to find out what.

The elevator doors slide open and she goes to the right like Delores said. She counts the numbers to the rooms and finally gets to hers. Dakeri slides the card into the slot waits for the green light to flash and she opens the door.

Shutting the door she takes a look around like most people do when they first enter the room at a hotel. She turns on the light in the bathroom and finds a hot tub; she can't wait to try that out.

Kicking off her shoes, Dakeri walks into the bedroom area, there are two king-sized beds and the sheet and pillows perfect not a wrinkle on them. She looks up and sees that there is an upstairs loft, she runs up the stairs and checks it out.

Although she tries her best not to be giddy she can't help but be. This past week she had to grow up—a lot but she was still a teenager.

At the thought of having to grow up so soon she gets memories of her mother. Dakeri has to sit on the bed and breathe, remember the way she smelled when she was alive, then waking up to the smell of her rotting in her bed. She feels the tears pooling in her eyes and she can't help but let them out.

Dakeri places her hands over her eyes and cries loudly, she still can't believe that her mother is gone. How could her mother leave her, she still needed a mother. Someone to take care of her, someone to love her, someone to protect her.

Not being able to handle being upright Dakeri collapses down on the bed and cries harder, her breath struggling to come out so she can breathe. She clutches her heart, the agonizing pain almost too much to endure.

"Why did you leave me!" Dakeri screams out. She continues to cry for five minutes not caring if anyone from outside heard her screaming. Why did her mother leave her alone, she was supposed to stay with her, and help her.

Dakeri just cries harder, how could her mother expect to stay around with her when Dakeri didn't help her. She glances up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry mommy. I did everything I could to save you, but I couldn't find anything." She wails out begging her mother to hear her wherever she may be. She wants and hopes her mother can forgive her.

_Lobby_

After Ms. Antar went upstairs to her room Delores called the man that wanted her to call him if anything came up. And she would have to say something came up—something big came up.

"Yes?" The voice on the line deep and menacing, causing a shiver to course down Delores's spine.

"Sir, I found out something you and the master might be interested in."

TBC


	5. Chapter 4

A.N. _Italics_ talking in the mind

**Chapter 4**

Dakeri composes herself and gets off the bed walking into the bathroom. Her eyes are puffy and swollen from her crying her face red and blotchy like her face had been scrubbed till it was raw. Swiping her hand over her face, she uses her powers to make her face normal again.

She remembers that she forgot her suitcase, she walks back over to the elevator and rides down the beep indicating that she has landed on the lobby floor. Walking out she walks back to her car, unlocks it, opens her back door and grabs the suitcase with her clothes, personal items, and a book that she wasn't finished reading yet.

Delores watches Ms. Antar walk out and later walk back in with a suitcase. That mealy mouth kid wouldn't put her through to the leader. He had told her that he'd relay the information to the leader and call her back with what the leader wanted her to do.

Dakeri notices Delores casting fleeting glances toward her. The looks made her nervous, and it just caused her to become more suspicious of the woman and more certain that she wasn't going to stay at the hotel for too long.

Entering her hotel room again she throws her suitcase onto the bed and opens it up. Dakeri begins to strip out of her business outfit, she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to look at herself in this outfit. She can pretend to be a businesswoman but for real, it wasn't for her.

She changes into black jeans, red tank top, her leather jacket, and her biker boots. Keeping her hair the same as when she first walked in, streak-less, so she doesn't cause too much suspicion.

Sitting down she grabs the remote for the TV and turns it on. She begins to flip through the channels when she gets the feeling of someone trying to communicate with her telepathically.

Dakeri pushes the mute button and concentrates fully on connecting with whomever is trying to contact her. A few moments later a loud booming voice inside her head calls out causing a small pain to go through her skull.

_Tone it down a little will ya?_ She thinks to the voice, the voice almost deafening. Dakeri waits for the voice to speak again and she isn't disappointed.

_Who are you?_ The voice is clearly on the alert and now that the voice has turned down the sound of its voice, she can tell it's a male voice.

_You're the one that's contacting me—who the hell are you?_ Not willing to give away any information as of yet.

_I asked the question first, so you're going to answer me first._ The male voice in an obvious snit.

_You wish._ Dakeri begins to cut off her connection with him, not liking his attitude in the least, and not willing to take it, she doesn't care if she's interested or not. If he contacted her once he would be bound to do it again.

_All right, all right. Names Rath._ The male's voice defeated gives up his name.

Dakeri stops at the voice saying his name is Rath. How many Rath's can there be, she thinks to herself. _Do you come from Antar?_ She asks in a soft voice, one that she's not sure if he heard or not.

_How did you know?_ Rath even more suspicious than a few moments ago.

_Because, I've been looking for you._ Dakeri admits, she hopes that doesn't scare him off but she feels like she can't lie to him.

_Why?_ She can tell that he's about to leave her mind and she's not about to let him do that.

_Short version, you and I were married on Antar._ For a few seconds she afraid that Rath might left, until she felt a small touch assuring her that he was still there, he was just trying to process this information.

_Dakerina?_ Rath's voice was low sounding unsure if this is really her.

_Not anymore, my name's Dakeri now._ She waits impatiently for him to 'speak' to her. She needs to hear his voice.

_I can't lose you again._ Unaware that Dakeri thought that too him she was surprised by his question.

_Again?_ _How did we lose each other in the first place._

_You and I had just made love, and Zan being the jealous asshole that he is blew us up. He killed us, he killed our unborn baby._ She cuts off feeling the pain of losing a child that in this life she had never even known.

Dakeri cries silent tears, this time it wasn't about losing her mother; it was about losing a baby. Even though she hadn't been able to feel their baby move in this lifetime she remembers what it felt like. The wonderment that there could be a little life living inside her.

For the second time since she got to the hotel room she composed herself and began to make the connection again only to find that Rath had left. She sniffled and felt a different kind of loss, it was an achy feeling in her heart that she knew had to be caused by not being able to be in contact with him.

Getting up off the bed Dakeri gets up, she has to look for Rath. She has to see him, talk to him, and hold him. While on the road she would begin to have dreams of their life together on Antar, she guessed it was because her mother had died and the force field that was around her memories, died with her.

Dakeri placed the 'Do not disturb' sign on the door. She didn't want anyone traipsing around her hotel room. In order to be sure no one did she did a mind warp on the hotel staff, so they ignored the room like it wasn't even there.

She hurries down the stairs, which were just to the right of the elevator, she couldn't wait for the elevator, and it would take to many precious moments of trying to find Rath. Walking down she again notices Delores talking on the phone again is that all the woman does, she thinks to herself.

She's about to go to her car when she looks at the traffic. Realizing it would be better to walk she goes into her trunk and pulls out a carrying case. She opens it up and pulls out her 9mm, placing it into her side holster, there's the Sullivan Law in New York but that's all she knows about it and she realizes that she has nifty alien powers, but sometimes a mind warp wears off. Granted her powers are stronger than the Royal Four's put together she still has a lot to learn about her powers.

If she used her powers and the mind warp wore off she would be in a whole lot more trouble than if she was carrying a gun and used it. Because while the person who breaks out of a mindwarp might think he's nuts the FBI might not be so convinced. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if the FBI caught her.

Putting an extra magazine in the pocket of her coat, she closes the case and places it back into her trunk. She looks around making sure no one saw her, and goes on her way, vowing to herself that she'd find Rath one way or another.

TBC


	6. Chapter 5

**Part 5 **

_Sewers; Rath's Dream; 30 minutes earlier_

Rath finds himself standing outside a huge palace, just a moment ago he was resting on the couch in the sewer. He glances around taking in his surroundings, it sort of looks like Earth with trees, homes, grass, cars honking—but it has it's differences.

The grass, bushes and trees aren't green like on Earth, here it's an almost a purple color. Homes and architecture are much more modern than that of Earth. Some cars are more domed shaped with tinted windows, all made with the same metallic metal, and a single headlight to light the way. Others are more like the cars of Earth, on wheels, different colors, clear windows, and 2 headlights.

He takes in the people walking around him but the people act like they don't see him standing in front of them, he knows for sure when an elder woman walks right through him. Some women are wearing similar clothes to the people of Earth, while others look more like the kinds you see in those martian movies, metallic clothing, like the cars.

He hurriedly walks to the palace gates and is able to walk through the huge double doors that was made for keeping people out. The door was slick, no place to put your hands or feet anywhere on or around the doors.

As he glances around the palace grounds Rath has a desire to look toward the sky. As he looks up he's shocked at the color of the sky, it's not blue, but red almost the color of blood—human blood anyway.

He's not sure where he is, but it feels familiar, like he's been here before. Rath knows that this is a dream but it doesn't really feel like a dream. He gets the sense that it's more of a memory than a dream.

Suddenly he gets the sensation that he's floating; he glances down and sees that he's flying above the city and up to a window. It's like his memory is guiding him to where he's supposed to be.

Hearing moans he gazes up taking in the sight of the most gorgeous woman he has ever seen riding up and down slowly on a large cock. The woman strikes a familiar cord with him, one that he can't place.

Not taking his eyes off the lovemaking couple he sits on the edge of the window. He nearly falls off his newly acquired seat when he hears the name that the woman is calling.

"Rath—Ugh—RATH!" Her breathing becomes shallow as she rides faster and harder. The smacking of their bodies meeting each other after each thrust permeates through the room.

He's too engrossed with gazing at the two on the bed that he can't think about why the woman was calling his name. Rath takes in the woman's breasts bouncing up and down, in tune with her body's movements. He watches as her head sags down and her hair creating a blanket between her and her lovers face, and the world.

Rath hears the woman words of love to the man she's taking inside her body, he hears the man, that was called Rath, in a deep husky voice return the words of love to her ramming into her harder causing her to scream in pleasure.

The hands gripping the beautiful woman's hips grasp tighter the fingers digging into the skin only cause the woman to gasp and moan loudly. Rath feels himself grow hard wanting to plunge his cock inside her and listen to her scream for him.

She flings her head back, her hair flying up in the air and down her back. The hands gripping her waist move up to her breasts and squeeze and massage them, pressing them close together and lifts his head up caressing the breasts with his tongue.

The woman weaves her fingers through Dream Rath's hair pressing his mouth closer to her breast. The Rath that was watching was getting annoyed at Dream Rath because he has yet to say the woman's name; he knew that if he heard the woman's name he would remember something.

Dream Rath continues to lap at the woman's breasts, while the woman is calling out his name in ecstasy. Watching Rath takes in the quickening movements of the woman, she's close to coming.

Dream Rath finally finds his voice taking his mouth and tongue away from her generous swells and groans out the woman's name. "Dakerina! Baby-doll—Ride me—Take it all inside you. Dak—Ugh!" Dream Rath's head falls back his teeth clenched.

Dakerina—that name brings a wave of love to his heart, he feels the warmth enter his body at just the sound of her name. He's never felt this way before, he would think that he would have felt this way when Lonnie's name was spoken but instead he felt a shudder of disgust.

Suddenly Watching Rath feels a tugging in his lower belly, it doesn't hurt, it's just a little uncomfortable and weird. A tingle begins where he feels the tugging, unexpectedly Rath is being pulled down until he's back in the sewers.

Rath's not in his body, his body is sleeping on the couch and Lonnie is doing her best to wake him. He watches as Lonnie unzips his grungy pants and takes out his semi-hard cock.

He hears Lonnie whispering that she's disappointed that he's only semi-hard, but not to worry because she could take of that for him.

While Lonnie herself makes him gag he's still a guy and getting a blowjob by a pretty woman always turns him on. Rath's astral self gets a warming sensation on his member as Lonnie licks him getting him ready for her to take him fully in her mouth and is rocketed back into his body.

Rath guides his hand to Lonnie's hair, feeling her spiky locks against his hands, fully waking up. Lonnie strokes her wet tongue up the side of his cock, around and down to the base licking his ball sac.

"There's my big boy." Lonnie grins and takes his dick into her mouth. Slowly she moves her warm mouth up grazing his member with her teeth.

Rath's jaw slackens at the pleasure; the one good thing he can say about Lonnie is that she knows how to get him to come. "Yea Lon, suck me!" He groans thrusting his cock inside her hot mouth.

Lonnie continues to lick and suck till her jaw is sore and hurting, but she wouldn't dare stop, not when Rath is this close. She blows lightly on his slick cock, his grip tightens on her scalp, he's close now.

Wrapping her lips around the top of his member, she flicks her tongue over the mushroom head and Rath explodes in her mouth. At his come drenching the back of throat she almost comes too but stops herself, wanting to come on Rath's dick instead.

"Fuck Lonnie!" He yells shooting his seed down her throat. Watching as she swallows it all he smirks. "You are such a slut, not letting a single drop drip out."

After he's done coating her throat with his fluid she lets his member fall limply in her hand. "Well, what can I say—I'm just a sucker for come."

Instantly after the euphoric feeling of climaxing he feels guilty, like he cheated on somebody. He's never felt that way before, ever since he began to have dreams of his past he's been dealing with a lot of feelings that he's never had before.

"Now what do you say you give me a reward for getting your solider the relief it needed." Lonnie straddles his lap grinding her pant-covered pussy over his hardening dick.

Rath shoves Lonnie off his lap, not caring that she landed on the ground hard. He puts his semi-hard cock back in his pants and stands up.

"What da fuck Rath." Lonnie glares up at him, he's never turned her down before, and she needs to fuck, that guy that she fucked in an alley way was hardly worth getting her pants unbuttoned for.

"Back off Lonnie." Rath leaves without giving her an explanation.

Lonnie growls in frustration and stands up. She can't believe that Rath turned _her_ down, he has never in the two years that they have been lovers turned her down.

Hurrying up the steps and out of the sewers he runs to the nearby alley and crouches down supporting himself against the wall. Rath needs to know who that woman is and he has a good idea about who would know.

Closing his eyes he concentrates and finds the connection that's still there between him and the person that contacted him a week ago. For a few moments he doesn't think that he can do it, nothing's happening and the person doesn't contact him back.

With one more burst of energy he yells in his mind. Finally whoever is at the other end "talks" to him.

Tone it down a little will ya! Rath knew that he had "spoken" really loud but he wasn't going to apologize, he needed answers and this person was going to give them to him, whether the person wanted to or not.

Who are you? He thinks the first thing he can think of.

You're the one that's contacting me—who the hell are you? The voice comes through as feminine, so, he knows that the person behind the voice is a woman. Rath has to smile at her attitude; it strikes a familiar cord with him.

However he was annoyed that she wouldn't tell him who she is. I asked the question first so you're going to answer me first.

You wish. Rath feels that she's about to cut off the connection and he can't let that happen.

All right, all right. Names Rath. As long as he got answers he'd be willing to do almost anything that the beautiful voice told him to do.

For a moment there's nothing but then the woman comes back and speaks in such a soft tone that he almost didn't catch what she said. Do you come from Antar?

How did you know? Rath's guard comes up. So she did know about Antar—or at least that he was from the planet.

Because, I've been looking for you. Now he's really suspicious, why would she be looking for him? The only logical explanation that she can come up with is that she wants to kill him.

Why? He's ready to close his mind off at a moment's notice, and he's sure that she can feel that.

Short version, you and I were married on Antar. That was a shocker, their protector said that it was supposed to be Zan and Ava together, and him with Lonnie.

Shaking his head he knows—now that the woman has told him—that he and Lonnie weren't meant to be together. All those feelings that he had been having whenever Lonnie would get near him. He hated touching her but thought that Lonnie was whom he was supposed to be with.

Rath feels the longing of the woman, she needs him, needs him to speak. He knows who she is now; it explains the dream he had just minutes ago. Dakerina?

Not anymore. My names Dakeri now. Again he feels her desire to hear his voice again. It's the same desire he has to hear her voice.

I can't lose you again. Dakeri thinks to him, he's sure that she didn't mean to say it to him, but it just came out.

Again? How did we lose each other in the first place? He thinks he knows the answer, he feels it in his gut but he needs her to confirm it.

You and I had just made love, and Zan being the jealous asshole that he is blew us up. He killed us; he killed our unborn baby. She cuts off immediately. But not before he felt the pain she was projecting to him. The pain of losing a child.

He tries to contact her again but it's no use, she cut him off completely. Rath needs to find her, he needs to be with her, love her, live with her. Making up his mind starts to walk down the streets of New York, looking at every face that passes him.

He's going to find her; he has to find her.

TBC


	7. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

_One week later_

Dakeri still has no luck in finding Rath, she's tried to communicate with him on their connection but he wasn't responding. Not even to tell her to go away—she was worried about him. She figured that after she told him that they were married before he would want to find her quickly.

She would have given up by now if she hadn't promised her mother that she would look for Rath and not stop until she found him. Under normal circumstances she would have cut her losses after two days of searching and finding nothing. Well, technically she did find him he's in New York, and he contacted her a few times so she could move on—but she also promised her mother that she would be happy and Dakeri knew that Rath would make her happy, more than happy. She knew that she would never be happy with anyone but Rath.

At fourteen her mother had told her that she could start going out on dates if she wanted to, but she never really wanted too. She tried going out on some dates but she was always let down, at first she thought that she just had to high of standards. Later after she remembered the fairy tale that her mother had told her about Rath and Dakerina, she knew that all she was doing was waiting for her true love.

Lying down on the bed she stares up at the ceiling that she had found herself staring up at a lot lately. This ceiling has listened to a lot of her problems. From pain to love she's told the ceiling everything, in fact this damn ceiling is the closet thing she's had to a friend since her mother died. The only down side to talking to a ceiling was that it didn't talk back when you were lonely.

It's so hard to be alone; she can hardly stand it. Normally her mother would be the one taking care of the driving to New York, getting the room, returning the keys and paying the bill, but now there was no one. You take for granted that someone is always going to be there for you and then when their gone you wonder what happened.

Tired of staring at the ceiling Dakeri slowly sits up and glances around the hotel room. It's time to leave this place. She's already stayed far to long, that weird receptionist had continued to watch her this week, the only reason that Dakeri stayed in this hotel for so long was because she was busy trying to find Rath.

Moving quickly she packs up her things which didn't take long considering she didn't take to many of her things out of her suitcase. She calls down to the lobby and tells the clerk there that she's ready to leave in about 30 minutes. The gentleman on the phone tells her that her bill will be ready and for her to have to room keys with her when she comes down.

Dakeri is dressed in blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and black combat boots; she picks up her suitcase and double checks the room making sure that she leaves nothing behind. Finding that she hasn't she walks out of the room and takes the elevator down to the lobby where she pays her bill and gives the clerk her room key.

Delores, whose watching from a back room, quickly phones Nicholas, Khivar's right hand man. "Come on pick up you annoying little twerp." Not realizing he had indeed answered the phone.

"Now that's not very nice Delores. You better start being nice to me or I'll tell Khivar about all the nasty little things you've been doing on this miserable planet." She can hear the sneer through the phone. Although Delores knows she hasn't done anything remote wrong Nicholas would tell Khivar other wise.

"I don't have time for threats Nicholas, Dakerina is leaving the hotel."

"So? Call me when you have something interesting to report, like she shot blue beams out of her fingertips or she threw a table across the room with a wink." He starts to hang up but she yells loudly through the phone.

"Dammit, listen to me. She's not leaving on one of her many quests to find Rath; she's leaving the hotel, as in not returning. She's packing up her suitcases in her car as we speak." The overwhelming urge to bash her head into the nearby wall was something she was tempted to do at Nicholas's stupidity.

"WHAT! Stop her, if we lose track of her Khivar will kill you!" Although Khivar would be remarkably upset about losing track of Dakerina he wouldn't kill or even hurt the Skin, but Delores had never met Khivar all she's heard is the stories of how cruel he is, Nicholas just wanted her to sweat.

"What do you expect me to do? I can't exactly run out there and kidnap her. With her powers so unpredictable it could kill me and the world would know aliens exist. Now do you want to be the one to tell Khivar that you made me chase after her and put her in a situation where she had to use her powers and as a result she's being dissected by the FBI?" She waits while he ponders what she said.

"Shit, it is too dangerous." Nicholas swears taking an antique Tiffany lamp and threw it across the room, the once very expensive piece is now a worthless scatter of glass. "I'll have to open their connection to each other, after I spent so much power and energy making sure Dakerina couldn't get in contact with him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind, your job is done, get back to the warehouse I'll have Jamaria take care of the arrangements for you to return to Antar." Without another work Nicholas cuts off the phone connection and stand in his teenage room. "Jamaria!"

Quickly his bodyguard enters the room ready for his order. "Yes Sir?"

"Delores will be at the warehouse, she will be expecting you to take care of the arrangements for her travel back home." Nicholas's face reveals nothing. "Kill her, feel free to do anything you want to her before hand, as long as you kill her after."

Jamaria sneers. "With pleasure." Nicholas nods his head and bodyguard leaves. Jamaria has preferred guarding Nicholas as opposed to Khivar; Nicholas let him have way more fun than Khivar ever did. Jamaria takes great pleasure in torturing and raping women, he's able to draw out the humiliation, pain, and degradation for days the longest he kept someone alive was a 17 year old girl. That lasted a good two weeks before her body finally gave out. He's looking forward to what he can do to Delores.

Dakeri starts her car and changes her clothes back to what they were before she went to the hotel. Looking in the review mirror she doesn't know whether or not she wants to put the blue streaks back in her hair. After careful debate she decides she'll put the streaks back in but change the color to a dark purple.

Closer her eyes she concentrates on the color of purple she wants and slowly she combs her fingers through her hair. Within moments she has deep purple streaks in her once all dark brown hair. Waving her hand over her other she changes her blue nails to the same color as the streaks, then she does the same to her other hand. Being an alien certainly comes in handy on occasion.

Slowly she backs up and eases out into the busy streets of New York. She'd sleep in her car for the next couple of nights; although she sure did love getting pampered at the hotel.

It's hours before she finds a place out of the way enough where it would be difficult to find her but out in the open enough so she could make a run for it if need be. She made sure her car was hidden behind a big green bush and it couldn't be seen from them street. However since this is a park a child might come upon her car but she'd deal with that then.

Dakeri reaches into her bag and takes out an apple she swiped from the hotel. She also stole the soap, shampoo, and blankets from the hotel room. She wasn't about to spend the night in her car shivering from the cold; her leather jacket could only warm her so much.

Biting into the apple she takes out a book, something she actually bought while at the hotel, as she opens it to the first page and begins to read it she finds her hearts just not in it. Tossing the book onto the passenger seat floor she lowers her seat till it's almost flat, curls up, and thinks about her mother.

The way she smelled, kiwi, Pine-Sol and English Pledge, she was a neat freak and everyday she'd mop the floors and Pledge the coffee table. It was her afternoon ritual and everyday after school Dakeri would come home to the smell of cleaner and her mother would come out of the kitchen telling her she needed to get started on the dishes if she wanted to complete her homework for the night.

Chuckling at the memory her sounds of joy give way to painful emotion wracked moans. All she wants is her mother back, nothing else matters to her…no that's not true. Rath matters to her, she doesn't know why considering she's never met him before but she knows without a shadow of a doubt that he does matter to her.

Dakeri's body spasms in emotional anguish, she lets her tears freely run down her face. For almost a half an hour she cries till finally her body is so drained that she falls asleep in exhaustion, her apple rolling on the carpet floor forgotten.

"Jamaria? Nicholas told me you'd be here." Where the hell is that big doofus? She sets her bags next to a chair as she rests her behind in it and glances at her watch. Delores was ten minutes early but she was anxious to get back home and hold her kids in her arms and make love to her husband.

Without warning a hand comes out of the darkness behind her clamping over her mouth stifling her screams. "You're right I am here. And I'm going to keep you company." Jamaria licks the side of her face and pulls her backwards, the chair topples over with a loud clatter and he drags her into the darkness.

TBC


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Streets of New York_

Zan and Rath stalk down the crowded city street, they pass venders and small shops on their way to the pool hall. Rath glances over at his once close friend, even before he began having dreams of his past he and Zan's friendship had deteriorated to almost nothing.

"Jonas was talkin' shit 'bout you again last night. Of course you weren't there again because you've been "searching" for something." Zan rolls his eyes and steals an apple from a fruit vender while he wasn't looking. "Is this thing you're searching for important ta da fam?"

"Not everything I do is family related. It's my business no one else's." Rath charges forward to the pool hall and enters the smoke filled establishment leaving Zan unprotected out in the street.

Scowling the cloned King stomps angrily after Rath; he'd have to get Lonnie to invade his dreams. He needs to know what his second in command is dreaming about. Jaw and fists clenched Zan enters the bar after Rath, when he first enters he can't find his second, the bartender is screaming at one of his employees shaking an angry fist at the girl and bikers are hitting on women left and right.

The crack of billiard balls breaking grabs his attention, sure enough there's Rath hustling stupid fuckin' drunks out of their liquor money. Rath seemed to have a knack for getting bar goers to part with their beloved drinking funds. Zan wondered for years if Rath had some kind of mind warping powers, like Ava, he of course swore that he didn't, he was just damn good at what he does. Yea right, Rath isn't good at anything except fighting.

Zan ambles up to the bar, he'd love to order up some booze but alcohol and alien systems don't mix, he and Lonnie learned that the hard way. He and his sister took a sip of the scotch they stole from some old farts shopping bag, when they came to the next morning his toes were painted a pastel pink that made him look like a pussy and Lonnie was hanging on a wall screaming her head off. Lonnie wasn't hurt or nothin' just scared shitless, he'd never seen her that freaked before. From that moment no one touched a drop of booze.

The bartender, Gus was his name, asked what he wanted to drink, scowling trying to look as tough as he could, which with piercings and tats wasn't hard to do, Zan ordered two cokes. Gus had the nerve to laugh at him, even nodded like he was looking at five-year-old. "Sure kid."

"I ain't no kid jackass." Zan grumbles, his scowl deepening.

"Whatever you say." Gus chuckles pouring the kid's drinks. The only people that came to the pool hall and didn't drink beer, scotch, or whiskey were the kids that couldn't order it. Oh some would try with fake ID's but he has an eye for fakes. He hands tattoo boy the two cokes, takes him money and moves onto the next customer.

Meanwhile Rath is cleaning house being the pool-shark he is, some is actually from talent, there was hardly anything to do when you lived in a sewer, you had to spend the day doing something, while the other part of his success at the table is knowing how to use his powers. So what if he cheats a little it's a lot better than stealing and getting his ass caught with a boatload of goods he didn't pay for.

Rath glances around at his competitors, no pressed suits cornballs in this dump, they wouldn't set foot in this joint. No, here it's just the lowest of the low, whores, the pimps counting the money, hustlers, and of course the suckers who lost money nightly. The guys are rowdy tonight, more chaotic than usual there's the air of violence around them, not a good environment to be when he's scamming them from their money.

Then again he's not exactly Mr. Calm tonight either, for a full week he's been trying to get in contact with Dakeri but nothing. At first he thought maybe she needed some time and didn't want to talk then, but as the days continued and there was no word from her he began to get worried. Having hardly felt that emotion before tended to make him upset.

Then of course after four days of not hearing from her he assumed the worse, maybe she was in trouble and needed him, and maybe she was dead. He had quickly scratched off those last two conclusions, he'd know, no matter what he'd know.

Thirty minutes later Rath has played and won three games winning over $4,000. "Well, looks like I cleaned all of you out, I'm just going to take my money and leave." Smirking he begins to gather his winnings but one of the large pro-wrestler type dudes that he just kicked the ass of at pool put a big beefy hand on his chest stopping any further gathering.

"Not so fast, no one can clean up at pool that well, I don't know how you did it but you're not leaving with our money." Large and dumb growls towering over Rath, thinking his size would be enough to intimidate him.

Rath runs an annoyed gaze up and down the big idiot, "The last thing you want to do is get in my way, you lost two games to me, count your blessings that all you lost was your money and not your teeth."

"Aren't you a cocky little shit? My friends and I need to teach you some respect." He fists one hand and slams it into his open palm.

Rath scoffs at the muscle bound moron, his smirk never losing its confidence and arrogance. "That's something I would love to see you try. I could wipe the floor with your ass and not break a sweat. Why don't you save yourself the embarrassment and go have a few hundred drinks…oh that's right, you don't have any money to buy those drinks. Darn."

Rath knows exactly what he's doing; he's been itching for a fight ever since he walked into the smoke filled bar. Now he gets to release a lot of that repressed anger out on the asshole in front of him. There was so much hostility between him and Zan; all that he couldn't take out on him because he was the former King of Antar. It would have gone against all of Rath's instincts.

The drunken idiot swung his large beefy fist towards Rath's jaw connecting solidly with hard bone. Rath's head jerks to the side, he can already feel a bruise starting to form, nothing Zan couldn't handle later when they were away from the bar. Blood dripped out of the side of his mouth falling to the floor, causing him to grin at his attacker. It was a grin that made him suddenly nervous for his life.

Rath punched the guy adding some of his powers behind the blow throwing the muscle bound asshole into the pool table, causing it to scrape a few feet across the floor. "Let's go baby," He claps his hands together and gets into a fighting stance. The fight was on.

Zan stood back and watched as his second in command proceeded to kick the jerk-off's ass. He probably should have jumped into the fray as well but Rath got himself into this mess he could himself out of it. All he had to do was give back the money he won, well; cheated away from the bar patrons he wouldn't be in this fight.

The former king drinks his coke as Rath and the muscle guy continue swinging at each other, at times Rath seemed to be winning, and then the huge fucker would do something that turned the tables on the fight. Swing, punch, kick, jab, knee. Finally after almost 10 minutes of kicking each other's asses Rath delivered a heavy blow to the jackass's nose breaking it, the crack could be heard throughout the crowded bar.

Sirens sound from outside, cops were on their way and they were coming fast. Grabbing Rath around the waist Zan hauls his second up and hurries them both out and into the street, Rath and Zan barely make it around the corner before the police arrive at the bar.

Coughing up a little blood Rath spits it onto the ground as they make their way down the various street, one striding along perfectly fine while the other limps to the sewers where they have made their home for almost 10 years. "You know Zan you could heal my wounds. Unless of course you want the trail of blood that is behind us lead the cops straight to us?"

"Shit." Zan looks back only seeing a drop of blood here and there nothing that anybody could find. "You're not bleeding that bad, I'll heal you when we get the park, no one will be there." He slaps Rath on the back and they continue trekking to the park.

"Right, when it's me you're real slow on the healing draw but when it's you, oh no we have to stop in a public place so you can heal your paper cut." He grumbles sarcastically at Zan, if an incident occurred that didn't involve the "King" he was fine in dealing with it in his own damn time. But when it was his own ass on the line Zan was all for action now not later.

Without warning Rath's dripping wounds and forming bruises were healed in a matter of seconds. Zan certainly couldn't heal by telepathy, it had to be Dakeri, there was no other explanation for it, and she's done it once before why not again. Rath rattled his brain trying to think of why she'd heal his wounds and even how after a week of nothing from her he can finally feel her emotions.

Cautiously Zan and Rath come up on the park; it was so silent outside despite the traffic rushing by only a few feet away. Trees and bushes seemed to block the city noises' giving the illusion of being out in the country…something wasn't right about this. Both the alien royalty had passed this part of the park at many different times and it was never this silent.

They jog quietly deeper into the park looking behind every tree, bush and park bench they came across on the way. Nothing was going to sneak up on them, it took them only seconds to realize they didn't have to worry about that, they had to worry with what was in front of them.

TBC


	9. Chapter 8

A.N. Italics are Dakeri's thoughts to herself.

**Chapter 8**

_20 minutes earlier_

Her tears dry and sobs quieted, Dakeri lies back in her seat coming in and out of dreamland, and nothing she did seemed to calm her nerves. Something was wrong with Rath. It had been a week since she felt anything from him but now those emotions, once blocked, came flooding at her not giving her a moment's peace. Her past-life lover was pissed, he was so furious Dakeri couldn't pinpoint what or who Rath was upset about.

Without warning her head was flung to the side a painful blow had hit her on the jaw, a large purplish bruise quickly appeared on her once flawless skin. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth; she licked her lips only to leave a thin layer of blood coating her mouth. What the Hell was happening? One minute she couldn't feel anything from Rath now she was getting his injuries, oh yea this was going to be fantastic.

Tenderly Dakeri pokes the discolored puffy skin with her finger, hissing in pain as she prods the wound. In only a few minutes her body was sore and felt like she had been in the worst fight of her life. The worst fights she was ever in were against the Miss Priss's who used their parent's money to get to the top of the popularity food chain. So it was safe to say she never got beaten to a pulp, until today and it wasn't even her that was doing the fighting.

Careful of her newly battered body Dakeri moves to ease out of her mother's car, immediately after opening the door that irritating 'ding' when you don't take the keys out of the ignition went nuts splitting her head in two. Shooting her hand out she tears the keys out with her powers throwing them somewhere on the passenger floor next to her fallen book. There was again silence in the park; Dakeri takes a deep breath preparing her body to stand and the pain that would come with that action. _Ok, here we go. _

With quick motions she wobbly stands on her feet, aches and pains everywhere on her body, even places she didn't even know she had were hurting. _Oh yea, this is much better. _She cringes; clenching her teeth and locking her jaw biting down to keep from screaming.

She needs to heal these wounds, unfortunately their creators put a little safety clause, if you will, into their DNA, when one of them was hurt fairly bad that aliens powers were diminished. Dakeri's mother always told her that it was because of their exhilarated healing ability, if they were in a fight with a human those cuts and bruises would have healed within the hour depending on how bad they were perhaps a little longer.

Basically their creators wanted them to seem as human as possible, now their enhanced healing ability was pretty much nil while they were injured. Sure they all had at least a little healing ability but unless you had the King you had to suffer through most of your injuries.

Sighing she thanked her creators for making her stronger than the royal four power wise, it would definitely come in handy for a situation like this. Granted her powers still went down but nothing near what Rath must feeling right now, if he hadn't grown up on the streets he might be defenseless. She'd heal them both when he finishes his fighting, it would be pointless to do it now, just take up more energy that she would need.

_Nicholas's Household_

Nicholas stands by the window, staring at nothing but seeing everything. "Dammit!" He squeezes the class of water he has in his hand till it shatters; glass and liquid fall violently to the ground. He had managed to eliminate the wall he erected in Rath and Dakerina's mind and it happened to be at the worst possible moment.

Rath that stupid idiot managed to get himself into a barroom brawl, now he was causing Nicholas' assignment to be in constant pain. Every blow and kick Rath received Dakerina did as well; Khivar sent him down to this rat-infested planet for one reason and one reason only, to protect Dakerina. Along the way, of course, his King sent him information and other little missions but Nicholas's main concern was Dakerina.

A key is heard on the other side of the front door, Jamaria's back. Sauntering into the room, his clothes in perfect condition, and a large grin of his face. "You're back much earlier than expected. Everything go all right?" Nicholas questions not turning away from the window.

"Wonderful, that Delores, damn she can scream. And the way her blood wells up after she gets cut is magnificent." Jamaria laughs, clearly enjoying everything he put the poor unsuspecting Skin through.

"So I assume she's dead?" Nicholas continues to watch the window, Dakerina has managed to close the car door and is now leaning against the trunk of the car.

Jamaria grimaces at the teenager hiding a powerful alien. "No, she's not dead."

Abruptly his "boss" turns, anger radiating from his prepubescent face. "WHAT?" Yelling at his enforcer. "She's not dead? You didn't kill that incompetent little bitch? That's what I sent you there for, to kill her, what good are you to me if can't even do that?"

If someone had been an outsider looking into Nicholas's home the scene would have come across as extremely odd; a short teenager who looked like he needed to visit the gym yelling and ordering around an over 6 feet tall heavily muscled man that could definitely break the teen in half. However to the two others in the room with them the young teen was law…after Khivar. Seeing him yell at one of his men was a sight they were used too.

"Playing with her is part of the fun. You know my style _Nick_." Jamaria stands up towering over the teen, he knew he was taking his own life in his hands talking back to him and trying to intimidate him. Nicholas was not a Skin to be pushed he had a small body but massive firepower.

"I suggest you back off Jamaria, when I ask you to do something it would be hove you to do it. I.E. YOU DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT WITH HER BUT YOU DON'T LEAVE TILL YOU KILL HER!"

"Dammit she's tied up you little twerp, she ain't getting away." He growls tired of Nicholas always ordering him and the other Skins around. There were many things that he was tired off but the main thing was Nicholas yelling at them at every opportunity.

"Obviously you've forgotten what Delores's specialty was, knots, she is a whiz at knots and locks and anything else that keeps her prisoner. She's probably out by now and looking for Dakerina to inform the princess about Khivar and that he wants her back on Antar." Jamaria's eyes widen and he rushes from the Copper Summit home. Knots and locks were Delores's specialty he had to make sure.

Nicholas shakes his head, idiots; he had idiots working for him and Khivar. He has no doubt Delores will be gone from her restraints. Hell if she was smart, and he knows she is, she would have been working on those knots the second she was in them. No way would she still be there.

TBC


	10. Chapter 9

A.N. This chapter picks up a few moments before Rath and Zan come upon Dakeri, so a few minutes before Rath and Zan even enter the park.

**Chapter 9**

Finally after almost fifteen minutes of constant abuse on her body, Rath had stopped fighting whoever he was pissed at; the sudden cease of blows was a major indicator. By now she was sitting on the grass leaning against the trunk of her car, she shuts her eyes and concentrates on the wounds that marred her body first, she'd get to Rath later.

Slow breaths in and out, she focuses on the most threatening of injuries then moves onto the smaller ones. Tingling sensations travel through her body letting her know everything is working as it's supposed too, a few deep breaths later Dakeri concentrates on Rath and healing his cuts and bruises.

Since she wasn't healing herself it took longer and more energy to 'fix' him, but it was worth it. If she hadn't fixed him her injuries would have come back, that she was sure of. Mom explained to her that when two Antarians were mated they could feel a good majority of what the other was feeling or experiencing.

Unfortunately there was nothing anybody could do about it…at least here on Earth, there had to be a special ceremony and you had to drink a certain concoction for the link to be broken. As far as she knew no one on Earth knew how to do that, only the Antarian religious leaders knew the secret drink. Which never made any sense to her, if they could become mated without anybody's help why would they need a special drink to break the mating link?

Next were her injuries, even though her powers are weakened she's able to take care of the more serious and obvious cuts and bruises. Dakeri breathes a sigh of relief when the pain disappears; cautiously she rolls her neck and shoulders, moving her limbs into a stretch. Now that they pain was gone should she contact Rath, would he even want to be contacted?

What if it was Rath that blocked her off, if that is the case he wouldn't want her to speak to him in the mind or in person. But if he isn't the one that cut their connection to each other than who did. She lets out a frustrated groan, screw it, she'd just forget about it. All she wants to do is sleep but with her nightmares, she doubts she'll be able to get much sleep if any.

Making a snap decision she concentrates on a good portion of the park surrounding her, the best way she knew to be able to sleep for the entire night would be to exhaust herself. Closing her eyes she makes a certain section of the park silent and sound proof, for what she planned there would be noise and she didn't want to be caught.

Then again it probably isn't a good idea to be displaying her powers so openly in the park. Closing her eyes she listens to her senses, the coast is clear nothing human is near, but just in case she puts up invisible alarms to warn her in case a human comes within thirty feet of her and her display. It's a difficult little trick that took her years to perfect but she's now the best at it, the Royal Four are capable of doing the same thing if they practiced.

Dakeri stills her body and mind, with a wave of her hand she lifts a park-bench and blows up a park light, sparks shoot from the blast cascading down in a shower of fire. She waves her hand up and down melting the metal pole from the light she just exploded and twisted it into a bow. After this power session she'd be so exhausted she wouldn't be able to cry and that was just fine by her.

Being alone sucked. No that's not true being forced into loneliness sucked. If Francesca were still alive they'd be watching an old horror movie huddled under a big heavy warm blanket, munching on Carmel popcorn. But now she's in a park hoping to wear herself out so she can sleep as peacefully as possible in her mother's car.

After a few minutes she feels her powers begin to ebb, she lifts the park bench in front of her and begins to twirl it around in front of her watching the piece of furniture dance in the air. Lifting a heavy left arm she blasts another light and hears a 'Whoa' behind her.

Quickly she drops the bench and turns toward the voice. Standing there are two guys, both wearing clothes that have seen better days. She's one to talk her clothes aren't looking much better. Despite her shock she feels something for these two, she couldn't quite put her finger on it but she is drawn to them, the tall one more than the other.

Wait, they passed her 'alarm' systems without triggering anything. They aren't human. Still on guard she stands straighter and crosses her arms. "So what planet are you two from?"

Rath and Zan raise twin eyebrows in surprise, sarcasm drips from the girl's voice in silky tones. Zan swallows hard and is about to answer unable to not tell this girl the truth but Rath speaks first. "What makes you think we're from a planet other than Earth? Shouldn't we be asking you that question since you're the one in the park floating benches and blowing up lights?"

"Well for one thing you and your friend didn't trip my alarms. It's set to go off for human only, and two having hair like that you have to be from another planet." Dakeri smirks at Mohawk Man. Why does she suddenly think that he should be wearing his underwear over his pants, attach a cape to his shoulders and finish it off with a nice 'M' in the middle of his chest?

"You're not exactly on the normal train either in the hair department. Purple and blue streaks, ya look like you have a bruise on your head." Rath shoots back not caring that Zan is trying to get a word in edge wise, he needs to teach this chick some manners.

After a few more barbs thrown back and forth between Rath and the girl, Zan finally gets a word in. "Rath!" Disapproval seeps from his mouth, this fighting is getting the three of them no where.

"Don't speak to me like you're my King here Zan. You're not, you are nothing more than a brother." Rath snaps back. True he was Zan's second in command on Antar but here on Earth he is his own alien and he's going to make sure it stays that way.

Dakeri stops short at the names. "Rath?" and Zan.

"Yea, what you gotta a problem with my name too?" Rath glares at the beautiful girl, all he wanted to do tonight was go out and have a good time at the bar. Zan screwed that up by coming along and then the asshole that refused to part with his money.

Even through his anger Rath can feel a connection to the gorgeous creature in front of him, but at this point he didn't give a shit about connections. All he wants is to go back to the sewers and sleep on the couch and beginning searching for Dakeri in the morning.

Dakeri glances between Zan and Rath, should she admit that she's Dakeri? She remembers what Zan did to her and Rath, everything he tried to do because he was King and figured he could have anything and anyone he wanted. Is he the same kind of person now as he was then…did she even want to take that chance?

"Nothin'. The name sounded familiar is all." Her jaw is set; she has to bite her tongue to keep from yelling she is Dakeri. She's who Rath is looking for. Granted this is another life and Zan could have very well changed but all she has is her past life memories to go on and that's enough to let her know not to trust the King.

With the last bit of her powers she mind warps the two aliens in front of her. Dakeri commands them to leave the park, go back home and go to bed. She doesn't tell them to forget her that would take too much energy. Without a word her Rath and Zan leave the park and follow Dakeri's orders.

Slumping against her car Dakeri breathes in and out, slowly she shuffles toward her car door. Easing gently into the back seat she locks her car and waits for sleep. Mind warping is her weakest power it takes everything out of her, this time is no different. In seconds she is out like a light.

TBC


	11. Chapter 10 A

A.N. I'm going to try to wrap this up here in the next couple of chapters.

**Chapter 10 A**

_Sewer_

Slowly Rath opened his eyes, at first he didn't know how he got back to the sewers. Last thing he remembered was walking through the park with Zan and then a sudden need to go to bed. Rath sat up on the couch and closed his eyes again; he tried to piece together the missing twenty minutes it took to walk from the park to the sewers.

At first all he could see was blur, but before long the picture began to clear. The girl in the park, he and Zan saw her levitating benches and blowing up street lamps. Jesus, she's an alien…could she be Dakeri? It certainly would make sense but why did he remember so soon after? Mind warps only wore off if someone was very weak, dying weak, or they wanted the mind warp to wear off.

Rath clung to the word 'dying' no, she couldn't be dead, that was not possible. Grabbing his jacket he raced from the sewers and ran as fast as he can back to the park. His reaction to the possibility of her dying was enough to make him believe the girl in the park was Dakeri.

He stomped up the stairs and onto the busy street of New York, he had to find her. Almost an hour later he still hadn't found her and he's pissed. The searching and worrying for sixty minutes had quickly changed his demeanor from scared to the desire to shake Dakeri till she explained why she fucked with his brain.

Another thirty minutes ticked by and he finally found her car, she had to have been using some power to hide the car because he passed by here and checked here three times and found nothing. Either she's weaker or she's ready to bail. Rath didn't waste time to think about what he'd say once he did reach her, he just took off running toward the car.

Before he could stalk up to it the driver's side door opened and Dakeri climbed out and stretched out. The shirt she wore rode up revealing a skinny stomach, she hasn't been eating. He felt himself begin to soften till he forced his thoughts toward her less endearing hour of last night.

"Ya know you gotta a lot a nerve fucking with my head likes that." Rath startled her. Good she deserved to be on edge after her performance last night. "I should teach ya wat it's like ta fuck wit someone." He threatened staring down at her. Got to give her credit though—she didn't cower like others would if he were glarin' at them the way he was with her.

"Hmm—maybe if your brain wasn't so easy to fuck with I wouldn't do it." She hissed out. Dakeri may come off like she wasn't afraid of Rath but she was. Oh, this wasn't information she'd allow him to know, that'd only stroke his ego but it's something she'd admit to herself.

Rath smirked and trapped her body between the open car door and his arm. "You're right that does stroke the ego."

Dammit, she forgot about that connection they had. Why the hell couldn't she sever that thing? "Don't let it go to your head," she crossed her arms glaring back at him. "If I wanted to I could throw you to the other end of the park with only a flick of my hand."

"If you were this feisty back on Antar I's can see why we hit the sheets."

Feigning disinterest Dakeri sat back in the driver's seat, shoved her keys in the ignition and started the car. Rath narrowed his eyes in confusion, was she going to leave and if so where—why. Didn't she want to talk—all right that doesn't sound like him at all but dammit he wanted answers and she's the only one that can give them to him.

"Where the hell are you's going?"

She slowly rose her eyes to meet his light brown ones. "Figured I'd go get a hotel room, want to come?" She knew what that sounded like, but really all she meant was for them to talk.

"Why not stay here?" He may remember her from a previous life but he knew nothing about her from this one.

Dakeri chuckled. "Don't really wish to have this conversation out in the open like this. Anybody could be listening in and I really don't feel like turning some human's brain to mush so they don't remember." She lifted her legs into the car and shut the door. "Are you coming or not?"

Rath let out a breath and stared off into the park where kids start to play soccer or baseball. Lovers curl up on blankets feeding each other fruits. Yea, definitely not the place to have an alien talk. "Fine." He slid on the hood of her car reaching the passenger side and climbed in. With the skills of a professional race car driver she zigzags around the crowded park avoiding people till she's back on the busy streets of New York.

"And you learned ta drive like that where?" He wanted to know.

"I'll tell you later." She smirked before pulling into a nearby hotel. It wasn't as nice as the one she stayed in before but it was better than nothing. "Shall we?"

TBC


	12. Chapter 10 B

A.N. Well here is the last chapter, the last few paragraphs will move quickly. I've had the last 9 paragraphs of this story done for over a year so I always knew that this was where I would end the fic since their story is being continued in Twin Set of Lovers. Hope everyone enjoys.

**Chapter 10 B**

Ten minutes later they're in the room together but neither were talking. Dakeri sighed but still wouldn't speak; she wasn't going to be the first one to say anything—"So how long have you been living in New York?" Dammit, well not talking first certainly was tossed away wasn't it? Why did being around Rath frazzle her nerves so much?

Rath ignored her question instead he focused on her thought. "How do I, how'd ya put it, frazzle you?"

"Stop reading my mind, the first couple times it was cute, now it's just irritating." Dakeri glared at the alien warrior. She was supposed to be the powerful one, why the hell couldn't she read his thoughts as easily as he could read hers?

"Maybe because I've spent my entire life keeping Ava outta my head. Can block my thoughts damn well."

"Again with the irritation. Could you at least pretend to not read my mind. It'd go a long way in me not turning your brain to mush." She fumed.

He leaned against the TV stand watching her in silence for a few moments. Rath couldn't stop the stirring in his heart when she tucked a piece of stray brunette hair behind her ear. Dakerina looked helpless, and so lost, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"My name is Dakeri alright, not Dakerina. Nobody calls me that except for Mom. And you can forget about that helpless shit, that is the last thing I am." She knew she was being a bitch but he couldn't go thinking that about somebody without them getting worked up. Wait a minute…Rath didn't say that out loud.

Her eyes rose quickly to meet his, a smirk fell onto her lips. "Don't be gettin' cocky now. Just cuz you did it once don't mean you'll be able to do it again." He spoke meaning for it to be harsh but it came out amused.

"Oh I think I'll be able to do it again." Dakeri smiled at him, her brown orbs teased back him.

I'm sure you will. He thought to her instead, the move far more intimate than speaking to one another. The gesture got the expression he was hoping for, shyness with a hint of lust.

So—what do you want to know first? Dakeri followed his lead, neither had moved from their chosen spots in the room but they were light years closer than they previously had been.

_Nicholas's Household_

"Did you find her Jamaria?" Nick questioned, although why he bothered to ask he had no clue. He knew the answer.

"Did you expect me too?" He spat out. When he got back to the warehouse where he kept Delores all he found was the chair and the rope coiled on the floor. Blood stained the once pale rope but other than that there was no sign of his prisoner.

"Of course not. She's probably hiding somewhere, fortunately there is no way for her to get back to Antar. The only way is through me and since that's not happening any time soon she's stuck on this miserable planet just like we are." He growled.

But there was a problem with that scenario she knew who Dakerina was, who she was to Khivar, and what role she played. The less their people knew the better; there were only three who knew who Dakerina was, him, Khivar, and Delores. That was one person to many. She could tell Dakerina anything and she may just believe it forever tainting further information she may receive.

"Where do you think she'd go?" Jamaria questioned. He wanted to make this right with Nicholas, the only way to do that was to keep looking, find her and finally kill her.

"To Dakerina. Go to the hotel she took Rath too. Don't let her see you and wait for Delores. She's bound to show up sooner or later. And you better pray it's soon." He stormed out of the room to the living room where his "sister" was waiting for him.

"Nicholas what about Vilandra? How do we get her to come to our side?" Vanessa questioned. Lonnie seemed to be coming around but Nicholas wasn't so sure she'd be the one brought back to Antar with them. She didn't have the class Khivar associated with his Vilandra; he may not like Lonnie.

"We'll figure something out. Don't worry. But first I want you to go back to Roswell, in a few months time I'm going to need you to kill your husband, but make sure it looks like an accident, so you can take over office. From there we'll decide our next move."

_Hotel Room_

An hour later she and Rath finished exchanging the "quick" version of their lives up to that point. He figured out that she was the reason he suddenly got a bunch of swallow cuts and how they healed rapidly. She told him about her mother, Francesca, briefly, anything more than that caused her too much pain.

Rath explained about his relationship with Lonnie, he had to admit that he enjoyed the jealous glare that she cast toward the window. The fact that she was possessive sent his lust through the roof, they barely knew each other so what would it be like when they knew each other well?

Another hour later she had him spread out on the mattress riding him for all she was worth, not willing to deny her passion any longer. Thankfully Rath was completely on board ready and willing to be laid out wherever she wanted him.

They stayed in the hotel room for three days, on the third day his family came looking for him. They opened their connection with Rath and hurried to the hotel that had become their love nest. Zan, the King of the group unlocked the door with his powers bursting into the room like he owned the building. Rath, not expecting him sent him flying back the way he came into Lonnie, the ex, and Ava his pseudo sister.

Dakeri not knowing these people from Adam shot her own hand out raising a blue shield similar to Zan's green one. After a few moments Rath convinced her to lower the shield and he explained who she was and why she was in New York.

Lonnie hated her from the get-go, which to tell the truth she didn't mind all that much. In fact she loved it. Ava while a little standoffish wasn't rude toward her even went so far as to offer her a place with them in the sewers.

At that Lonnie stormed off and they didn't hear from her for a few days. Zan on the other hand agreed whole-heartedly that she should live with them, she wished, the entire time he was in the hotel room that he would stop staring at her like she was a double fudge chocolate cake tempting people at a weight watchers meeting.

Eventually the now group of five fell into a routine, Zan kept a close eye on Rath and Dakeri waiting for Rath to slip up so he could zoom in and comfort Dakeri. Ava took Dak around the city, showing her the best clubs and stores to shop at. While Lonnie tried to get Rath back she pretended to be Dakeri's friend, it only worked once, after Dakeri heard Lon speak to Ava about not really being her friend she turned cold to the statuesque alien Princess. She wouldn't let Lonnie manipulate her.

And finally Rath and Dakeri continued to learn more about each other find out each other's best and worst qualities. When they moved in together he started to leave little pieces of paper with a single word on it by her pillow. Words like _love, beautiful, stubborn, _and _caring._ Every morning it would be a new description. She loved him and he loved her. They'd make it, she knew they would.

The End


End file.
